Justice Administration: Our younger judges need mentorship, CJN insists

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA – The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has urged senior judicial officers to cultivate the habit of mentoring their junior colleagues to ensure a seamless transfer of knowledge.

Speaking at the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association’s Annual Conference in Kingston, Jamaica, the CJN argued that senior judicial officers have a legitimate role in mentoring, supervising and correcting junior colleagues.

According to a statement made available to newsmen by her spokesman, Mr. Tobi Soniyi, the CJN, who was part of a panel session on the topic “Judicial Bullying and Harassment,” added that senior judges possess institutional knowledge that cannot be acquired from books.

“They have a responsibility to guide younger colleagues, share experience and help them understand the demands of the Bench,” she added.

It was the CJN’s position that mentorship would help junior judges gain greater confidence to discharge their responsibilities effectively.

She maintained that a judge should be able to ask questions without feeling embarrassed or fearing that admitting ignorance on a subject matter could be used against him or her.

Justice Kekere-Ekun stressed that a newly appointed judge should be able to disagree with a senior colleague without fear, noting that a junior judicial officer should be able to raise a concern about administrative practice without being regarded as difficult.

She said a judge should be able to express an independent view without worrying about personal consequences.

“The Judiciary is an institution founded upon reasoned disagreement. Judging at the appellate level, in particular, depends upon the ability of Judges to consider different perspectives and, where necessary, to disagree.

“If seniority becomes a substitute for persuasion, the quality of judicial reasoning suffers,” she added.

While acknowledging the importance of respect for seniority, the CJN warned that independent judgment should not be sacrificed to seniority.

She reminded judges of the importance of accountability, saying they must also be accountable for their conduct, productivity and adherence to professional standards.

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